Health, Development and Wellbeing

The Health, Development and well-being theme takes a life course approach to investigating the biological and social pathways that shape mental health across an individual’s lifespan and over generations. This covers work with babies and children in our Child Development Lab, through to work with adolescents, and older adults.

Research focuses not only on the prevention of psychological problems, but also on the promotion of well-being and positive development. This includes work on longitudinal cohorts that follow individuals over time, neuroscientific investigations into factors underlying socio-cognitive development, transdiagnostic research into the co-occurrence of mental health conditions, and research on how genetic and environmental factors come together to shape mental health.

We draw on our expertise in neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, social psychology, and neuroendocrinology to study mental health and wellbeing. We also focus on investigating the human capacity for resilience - how people do well despite exposure to adversity. We are involved in the development, delivery and evaluation of interventions that aim to treat or prevent mental health problems and promote well-being. This work includes interventions in challenging settings, such as refugee camps, as well as programmes aimed at older adults living in the community. Our research also features the application of digital and remote technologies to improve engagement and access to services.